kei4 zi2棋子

Jyutpingkei4 zi2

Yalekèih jí

名詞Rare

Definition

A piece in a board game, or a pawn controlled by others for their own benefit.

a piece in a board game, such as chess or xiangqi
figurativea puppet; a person controlled by others for their own benefit

colloquialother

How it's used

Beyond the literal meaning of a game piece, this term is frequently used in political or social contexts to describe a person who is manipulated by others. It carries a strong sense of being powerless and used for someone else's strategic gain. It is the direct equivalent of calling someone a pawn in English.

Measure word

zek3隻jek

Examples

nei5你m4唔hou2好seng4成jat6日bei2畀jan4人dong1當kei4棋zi2子gam3咁wun6玩laa1啦。

Don't let people treat you like a pawn all the time.

le1呢zek3隻kei4棋zi2子baai2擺喺hai2邊bin1個go3位wai6先sin1啱aam1呀？

Where should this chess piece be placed?

Common phrases

hei3棄zi2子

to sacrifice a piece

cou1操hung3控kei4棋zi2子

to manipulate a pawn

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 棋, which refers to the game itself or the general concept of chess. When referring to a single physical piece, you must use 棋子 and the measure word 隻.